The department believes that assessment should be carried out via a wide range of methods and that it should be an ongoing process which does not make the pupils feel uneasy or threatened. Pupils are usually formally assessed once per term in the form of a performance or the presentation of a composition. Listening and appraising exercises are spread out throughout the term as part of the delivery of the course. At Key Stage Four, performance, is assessed at the end of each half term. At the end of Year Ten, pupils take a performance exam and a listening exam to assess their progress mid course. In Year Eleven, pupils submit their composition work for final assessment and undertake a further performance test. A terminal examination is held in the form of a listening paper in the summer exam period.